Any big shift in education standards is going to be tumultuous. As each state struggles to create curricula and train teachers in the new teaching methods, ensure that your child doesn’t get lost along the way.
The best way to ensure that your child is keeping up is to be involved. Carefully monitor their progress and make sure that you have a good relationship with their teacher so that you can catch problems early. If there are gaps in your child’s knowledge or they are having difficulties transitioning to the new methodologies, consider an in-home tutor who is familiar with Common Core State Standards.
The reason for this is that the way material is taught is fundamentally different from the way you learned at school. Now the concepts behind the functions are taught from the first grade. Traditionally, math and language skills were taught by rote in the early grades with the underlying concepts being taught later. This often led to students floundering on the conceptual ideas in later grades.
Now the concepts behind mathematical functions and language skills are taught first. Parents often find this confusing, as the answer to 7 + 3 can’t just be 10. The student must communicate the underlying mathematical concepts rather than just the answer. They must explain why 7 + 3=10, not simply that it does. This has left many parents frustrated at not being able to help more with homework, but it does help students to grasp concepts and therefore excel at mathematics.
The shift in teaching methods is still in the implementation phase and testing starts early this year to gauge the success of the program. “The most important indicator of a student’s success is parental involvement,” says Chris Lien from Tutor Doctor. “When parents support their child, have a good relationship with the teacher and try to understand the new Common Core State Standards, the child has a far greater chance of a seamless transition.”
Call Tutor Doctor of Santa Clarita for a free consultation at 661-219-0770 and learn more online at www.santaclaritatutoring.com. We offer one-on-one tutoring for students of all ages in all subjects in the comfort of your home with very flexible seven days a week scheduling. Our tutors are all company employees who are background checked and trained in best practices. Like us on Facebook: SantaClaritaTutorDoctor.